


Struggle at the End of the World

by CavannaRose



Category: The Zombie Survival Guide - Max Brooks
Genre: Gen, Post-Zombie Apocalypse, Survival, Zombie Apocalypse, Zombies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-13
Updated: 2016-07-17
Packaged: 2018-07-14 20:35:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7189196
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CavannaRose/pseuds/CavannaRose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harlow had been in class when the alarm went out, signalling the end of life as they all knew it. Public service announcements and attack bulletins were everywhere. All she knew was that she was halfway to skills that might actually help someone in these dark times. Heck, she knew more than most. She and several of the other nursing students had raided the school for supplies and holed up in the residence, taking in those that were desperate or needed help.</p><p>Times are tough, and getting tougher. Supplies are hard to come by, and one careless mistake is enough to guarantee you never make it home. Despite starting with a group, Harlow's on her own now, and facing a heavy choice. Strike out and search for more survivors, or dig in and make do with what she has.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It had been three long weeks since Sophie and Maria had ventured out in search of supplies. With only the three of them left, it had been a furious debate about the division of labour, but they were well bricked in from the zombies and various other monsters prowling about the darkness, so they decided two to go out, to watch each other's backs. Harlow stared out the window. a deep depression settling over her. Apparently two hadn't been enough. Sighing she crossed the room to check the water situation for the fortieth time. She had two, three days tops before things got truly desperate, but she'd have to do something, anything, before then.

The other nursing students had all been clever, creative young men and women with skills and a survival instinct, but this new world had been too much for them, even in pairs. What chance did she have of surviving out there? She'd be careful, maybe she'd find enough supplies to make coming back here worthwhile. It was possible. It could happen.... Couldn't it? Self-doubt wasn't her style, but there was no one around to bolster her bravado off of, and that made the young woman's resolve crumble a bit. At one point there'd been almost twenty people here, barricaded into the old residence building and making out as best they can. Now it was just her.

Grimly she quickly knotted her long hair into a pair of braids to keep it out of her face. Gathering what few supplies were left, she packed them all into Jacob's old school bag, it was the biggest one that hadn't yet left on scavenging missions and not returned. There wasn't that much left to fill it. Half a box of granola bars, a few fruit cups, two cans of brown beans in molasses, the can opener, the remainder of the clean water, and a half dozen packets of instant mash potatoes, just add water. All in all, it made for light travel, so she added a few extra sweaters, clean socks, a comb, and a switchblade they'd found under one of the student's beds... After careful consideration she pulled that back out and tucked it into her pocket. With that, and her jacket... there was nothing left for it.

Harlow shouldered the bag, snapping the waist snap for extra security and took a deep breath. She was doing this, despite the fact that her heart was racing at like a thousand beats a minute in terror. She picked her way through the sleeping bags and various treasures that seemed less and less important as time had gone on and hit the barricade at the top of the stairs. Moving the sturdy wooden bed frames on her own was hard work, but she eventually managed to open up enough of a gap to slip through.

She was doing it. Every step on the stairs seemed to shout at her to turn around and give up, and though she was shaking, she kept on forward. That was what courage was... right? One step at a time she slowly made it, down the seven flights of stairs until she was leaning against the broken door, staring out at the abandoned street. How many times had she jaywalked across here? Skirting around honking cars and tossing crude gestures at angry drivers. Now it was silent, several abandoned vehicles, doors still open, just sitting in the street like a hollow reminder of what was. She took another deep breath, eyes scanning for movement. Admittedly she had almost zero sense of direction, but she went up to the crossroads and picked a street, choosing one that wasn't immediately decorated in mutilated corpses, you never knew when one would just... get up.

With a determination in her step that was hard to fake through her terror, she picked her way down the street, stopping to pick up an abandoned half bottle of orange-flavoured beverage and tuck it into her bag. It was something. It was a start. Jaw squared firmly she continued up the road, eyes constantly sweeping the building entrances. The sun was still up, but that meant almost nothing in this new world of theirs. She wouldn't relax her guard for even a second. Anxiously, she settled a hand over the pocket where she'd tucked the switchblade. Part of her wanted to hold it in her hand, but she was afraid that if she gave in that much, she'd turn tail and run back to the residence, just sitting there until she died of starvation or dehydration.

Adjusting the pack on her back, Harlow took the next right, not sure if she was heading towards the city centre, or out of the city altogether. It didn't matter, she'd left her little hideaway, and was now on the road. For better or for worse, she was going to face what was out here... For now. She still kept the option of scurrying back to the residence as a backup plan.


	2. Chapter 2

Her feet were killing her. One thing about being holed up in the old residence was that she didn't do much treking around. Especially not over uneven ground. The muscles in her back were screaming from the weight of the pack, and she was uncomfortably tense. With the horrors that could be lurking around any corner, you just couldn't let your guard down.

She'd been lucky, there had been one or two shamblers moving amidst the city wreckage, but she'd avoided them with ease. Best not to waste bullets or risk getting too close if you didn't have to. She did not want to handle anything spooky in the dark of the night, though. She needed to find a defensible shelter before the night fell, and the sun was already starting it's slow retreat from the sky.

She bit her lip, examining the bigger homes here at the edge of the city. She probably should have stopped sooner, at one of the apartment buildings. If nothing else, their stairwells were easier to block off. Unfortunately, she'd not thought that far ahead, instead focusing on putting one foot in front of the other, no sound but the scrape of her sneakers and the heated huff of her breath. If the monsters didn't kill her, she'd either starve to death or die of loneliness.

She picked a two story home from the row, stairs were your friend these days. Easy to block off, and they gave you the vantage point in a fight. They also left you screwed if your defenses crumbled. Can't forget that. Harlow pulled the knife from her pocket, leaning against the door. First thing was first. Make sure the place was clear. It was probably clear. Damn but she was hoping it was empty. Biting her lip she quietly turned the handle and eased through the door.

Feet that had learned to be quiet picked through the refuse littered about the entryway, eyes blinking to adjust to the lower light. Someone had blocked all of the windows, probably after the Troubles started. Letting out a silent breath she crouched low and began to search the house one room at a time.

She cleared the bottom floor methodically. In the kitchen, Harlow even lucked out, finding a can of baked beans that had rolled behind the stove. Other than that, the place was picked pretty over. It sucked, but she hadn't really expected anything else this close to the city centre. Hopefully as she moved outward there'd be better scavenge, otherwise she might just starve to death before the shamblers caught her. She supposed she could like... eat bugs and filter her own urine if things got desperate, but there was no part of her that wanted to even consider things getting that bad. Dropping her gear bag on the couch she shifted her grip on the knife to something more comfortable and shouldered the gun.

She wanted a full range of motion and a varied artillery before heading up the stairs. Shamblers might be slow, but not everything that might be hiding here was. Testing each step carefully, she climbed to the second floor, skirting around the few obstructions in her path. At one point, someone might have barricaded this route, but she wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. As she eased down on a step, she let the amused thought that summers on the reserve as a kid had perfected her for this kind of sneaking around. Avoiding her brother had taught her how to be quiet, after all.

The first door opened into a small room, an older boy's it looked like from the basketball posters everywhere. Harlow sorted through the room absently, tossing a heavy sweater over her shoulder. Winter would come eventually, and it was so nice and thick she couldn't resist nabbing it for later. Who knew when she'd find one that weather-proof again? Besides, even now the nights were chilly if you had to sleep out under the sky.

The next door she came across was locked. Frowning, she jiggled the handle but to no avail. She patted the gun at her side for reassurance and then knelt in front of the door. sliding the tip of her knife between door and frame she jiggled against the locking mechanism. She'd had an older cousin teach her how to do this a long time ago, not that she'd ever been much good at it. Still, she was committed. If she didn't clear every room, she'd have to find a new place to bed down and start over again, and it was far to late in the day to make that attempt.


	3. Chapter 3

"If you'd like to keep your head on your shoulders, I suggest you come in here with peace in mind. I see one sign of a weapon pointed in my direction, and you're dead in a way you won't be coming back from. Understand?" The voice was cold, firm, and female. The last point put Harlow at ease, despite the tone. There were a lot of things to worry about in these troubling times, but women still tended to stick together, thus far. At least when there were no menfolk about. "I guarantee I'm a better shot that you are."

Harlow dropped her knife with an audible thump, giving a mild curse under her breath. As comforted as she was that the voice was female, she had no intention of being shot at tonight, or ever really. Definitely not a high on her to-do list. "Don't shoot me! I'm coming in like you asked!"

Swinging her gun back around she ejected the shot from it, if she was going to have her weapon confiscated, she didn't want to be arming the person on the other side of the door. Pocketing the shells she re-positioned it across her back by the strap, hopefully it looked good and harmless back there.

She considered it briefly, and then ducked down to pick up her knife, sheathing it at the small of her back, tucking it into the waistband of her pants. You didn't want to give up all your protection after all, not in these days. Tentatively she inched through the now open door, hands up and big brown eyes wide.

"My name's Harlow Wilson, I was a nursing student at South Central, do you require medical assistance?" Maybe the other woman was injured, that would make anyone extra paranoid and scary... right?


End file.
